Teaching chemical changes (at Halloween)

By Kirsty Patterson2021-09-09T05:56:00

Lit candles and a spooky selection of bottles holding coloured liquids

Source: © Maya Kruchankova/Shutterstock

Turn your younger students into wizards at chemistry with these simple practical ideas

Chemical changes as taught to 11–14 students is the perfect opportunity to bring Halloween and wizarding into your teaching – and an exciting chance to engage learners. This article describes how to use the reaction of magnesium with oxygen and microscale chemical change observations to overcome student anxiety about the right answer and excite young learners about chemistry. It comes with classroom-ready downloads for the activities described.

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